Shloka 17
Vidura’s Recall from Kāmyaka-vana and Reconciliation with Dhṛtarāṣṭra (विदुरानयनम् / क्षमायाचनम्)
प्रियं सर्वे करिष्यामो राज्ञ: किड्करपाणय: । न चास्य शवनुमः स्थातु प्रिये सर्वे हमृतन्द्रिता:,“हम सब लोग राजा दुर्योधनके किंकर और भुजाएँ हैं; अतः हम सब मिलकर इनका प्रिय कार्य करेंगे; परंतु हम आलस्य छोड़कर इनके प्रियसाधनमें लग नहीं पाते
priyaṁ sarve kariṣyāmo rājñaḥ kiṅkarapāṇayaḥ | na cāsya śaknumaḥ sthātuṁ priye sarve ’mṛtandritāḥ ||
“Kita semua adalah pelayan raja—bahkan laksana tangan dan lengannya. Karena itu, bersama-sama kita akan melakukan apa yang menyenangkannya. Namun, dikuasai kemalasan, kita tak mampu tetap teguh dalam mengupayakan maksud yang ia kehendaki.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts declared loyalty with actual conduct: claiming to be the king’s ‘hands and arms’ is meaningless without sustained effort. Ethically, it highlights that duty and allegiance require vigilance and disciplined action, not mere professions of devotion.
The speaker reports a group’s stance toward their king: they affirm collective readiness to carry out what pleases him, but admit they fail to persist in executing his desired objective because they are hindered by laziness.